Why rats seek your home during winter

Pest Control in Sydney’s Winter

Winter has officially arrived, it’s now the season to rug up again, turn the heater on and spend more time inside away from the cold. Unfortunately with cold comes new problems with pest control. We’re not the only ones struggling to stay warm, so are rodents.

Rats and mice will invade your home in search of food, they are strong swimmers and are known to swim up drains just to try and find food and shelter. They’re notoriously able to squeeze through tight spaces. With mice able to fit through something as tiny as a 10 cent piece and rats squeezing through tiny spaces as big as a 50 cent piece, it becomes hard protecting your home from these pests when they can fit through wall crevices, hide in your roofing insulation or even find a warm spot behind your refrigerator.

Things to look for when you think rats or mice maybe residing in your home:

Droppings: this may seem like an obvious one but keep an eye out for long dark brown droppings ranging in size from 4mm – 20mm

Noise: listen out for scratching and chewing noises during the day, they will generally hide out in your walls and roofing and come out for food during the evening.

Damage: look out for broken or chewed damage around the home. Such as wires, skirting boards etc. Especially keep an eye out for wires. You don’t want to have to dial the fire brigade to put out a fire in your home

Smell: Rodents have a distinct smell very similar to ammonia

Marks: rodents will leave marks around your home, they will look like greasy smears

If you think you have rats or mice in your home it’s important to get your home inspected this winter and beat them to the punch.

It’s imperative to do what you can to control rats and mice in your home for health reasons but also for your family’s safety. Most people tend to leave bait out but it’s essential to remember bait is a poison and it will also act as a bait to your pets leaving them too poisoned. Keep in mind poisoning rats and mice will kill them where they may go and die in between walls and in your roof leaving an awful odour behind.

The best option if you already have signs of rodents in your home is making a call to one of our professional pest controllers. Who will come in and discuss the most effective treatment plan with you.

Prevention of rats and mice in your home is obviously the best control method and taking some of these steps will help you next year when winter comes around.

Taking away their food supply is one of the most vital methods. Clean up any crumbs and scraps from benchtops, sweep up bird food rom under the bird cage, Feed pets inside and pack up their food afterwards. Pet food can heal rats and mice after consuming bait due to Vitamin K.

Seal any possible entry ways to your home, such as cracks or pipes etc.

Get rid of plants and bush from around the base of your home.

Don’t leave fruit around your fruit trees, pick it up and throw it out.

If you happen to find any dead rodents it’s best to dispose of them by wrapping them up in tight plastic bag and placing it in a sealed garbage bin. If you find a dying or sick rat or mouse it’s best to kill them immediately and done quickly if drowning it.

Whatever you do, don’t touch one with your hand. Use gloves or tongs and it’s still imperative for safety reasons to give your hands a good wash with disinfectant soap and warm water afterwards.

It’s also important to remember to get rid of rodent droppings the same way and to try not to sweep and vacuum them as the viruses they contain may become airborne.

In order to properly remove any trace of rodents in your home, put bleach and water in a spray bottle and before mopping or sweeping spray all areas they have been active with the bleach mixture. Including any traps you may have used.

Essentially the best way to control rats and mice is by giving one of our specialists a call who will effectively and efficiently deal with the current infestation with you but will also talk to you about a long-term plan for prevention.